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This easy Air Fryer Bacon is quick and prevents splatters in the kitchen! Perfect addition to breakfast, wraps, salads, and more!
How to cook bacon in the air fryer
This recipe is incredibly easy and requires 1 ingredient and 1 tool. All you need is thick-cut bacon and an air fryer! Here’s a great guide for cooking Air Fryer Bacon.
Preheat & Prepare
Preheat your bacon to 400 degrees F. Most air fryer say you don’t need to preheat them, but I’ve found it still leaves to more even cooking. Cut your bacon in half if your air fryer is not large enough to cook a full slice of bacon. We want to cook in a single layer, so cook in batches if you have to.
Cook
Place the bacon strips in the basket of your machine and cook for 9-11 minutes for chewy (great for meaty sandwiches or wraps) or 11-13 minutes for crispy (perfect for bacon bits). If you are using thinly sliced bacon, your cooking times would be shorter.
Serve
As with all bacon, this is great served with Parmesan Eggs and Collard Greens, on Avocado Toast, or inside a Bagel Breakfast Sandwich. For a classic, quick breakfast, add Air Fryer Sausage or Air Fryer Eggs!
Store
Bacon should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
Reheat
To reheat bacon in the air fryer, preheat to 400 and cook for about 3 minutes (depending on your preference of chewy vs. crispy). Alternative methods include microwaving (1 minute) and reheating in a skillet (medium, about 3-5 minutes).
Freeze
Bacon is great for freezing! Cook up a big batch, then all the bacon to cool completely on a baking sheet. Place the baking pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag (or two if you’re worried about freezer burn.
You can choose to thaw the bacon overnight in the fridge or during reheating if you’re in a hurry.
If you like air fryer bacon, try these recipes:
- Air Fryer Cookies – This deep-dish dessert is simple, quick, and easy to make! Under 5 net carbs each, too.
- Air Fryer Broccoli – A quick side dish that goes along with pretty much any entrée! Low in carbs and calories, high in nutrients and deliciousness.
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets – Great for a kids’ lunch recipe, a meal prep recipe, or an easy dinner to avoid takeout!
- Bacon Breakfast Tacos – Air fry your bacon first, then create a delicious breakfast taco full of protein!
- For more Keto Air Fryer Recipes, check out this list! If you prefer easy frozen air fryer recipes, this list is perfect for you.
FAQ’s about Air Fryer Bacon
It can be, but virtually all forms of cooking bacon are messy. As long as you wipe out any bacon grease immediately after cooking (and between batches if cooking multiple) will keep your air fryer clean. This prevents dangerous splatters on the stove or grease buildup in the oven.
This all depends on preference! I love have crispy bacon with eggs or as bacon bits on a salad. However, I love chewy bacon for a filling, meaty breakfast wrap or chicken bacon ranch sandwich.
Chewy bacon doesn’t take quite as long. You’ll need just 9-11 minutes in the air fryer for chewy, meaty bacon.
Crispy bacon requires a couple minutes longer. You need to cook crispy bacon longer, so 11-13 minutes in the air fryer will work.
Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 pieces of THICK-CUT bacon, can cook more or less depending on size of air fryer
Instructions
- Depending on the size of your bacon and size of your air fryer, you may need to cut your bacon in half. I cut each piece into halves to fit easily in the air fryer.
- Preheat the bacon to 400 degrees F for 3 minutes. While preheating, cut bacon strips in half if needed (depending on the size of the air fryer).
- Place bacon in the air fryer and cook 10-11 minutes for chewy bacon or 12-13 minutes for crispy bacon.
Every air fryer is different. Check the bacon halfway through to ensure your bacon doesn't cook too quickly.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
